The 58th Keeper

by R. G. Bullet

  A rapid departure for those who’ve heeded,

  But for he who broke the time-honored rule,

  A wretched end for this poor fool.

  The guard broke in and paddled for the air space below the deck, and as he treaded water, Archy came up from behind, grabbed a broken plank, and hit him with all his force. The man flopped onto his side and Archy bound him tightly to the mast with rope.

  He felt his way under the deck and came to a hatch. He pushed the lid open just enough to see Maximus Crassus mercilessly hitting one of the slaves, to the delight of the crowd. Only five slaves remained, doing their utmost to stay alive. Archy knew that the only safe way back to the ramp through the crocodile-infested water was to use the rowboat. He heaved himself onto the deck and crawled on his belly toward it.

  Maximus Crassus pulled out the sparkling gladius and saluted the blood-hungry crowd. The arena silenced and then gasped, watching Archy’s desperate crawl.

  Maximus bowed as if the crowd’s reaction were for his pending victory. He raised the gladius to deliver the final deadly blows to the slave before him.

  Archy sprang up and delivered a crippling tackle to the back of Maximus Crassus's knees. They crumpled into a heap and the gladius clanged across the deck. The crowd all leapt from their seats. Bewilderment, then anger flashed across Maximus Crassus's face and he rolled away, pulling a dagger from his belt.

  “Very good, boy.”

  The Death Squad held back and watched as their revered leader composed himself with dignity, standing to his full height. The crowd grew quiet again.

  Maximus Crassus beckoned to Archy. “Come here, I will make your death extra slow.”

  A man shouted from the crowd, “What next, Maximus Crassus, will you fight the blind—and women too?”

  Laughter rang out from all directions. Maximus Crassus glanced up to see the mocking faces in the rows above him. He ripped the helmet off his head and tossed it overboard. His face was contorted with anger as he glared at Archy.

  Maximus Crassus charged, but Archy faked as if to dive overboard, and then swept around. Maximus Crassus lost his balance and tipped over the edge. The crowd jumped up from their seats and stamped their feet with delight.

  Archy peered into the water. Maximus Crassus was grappling with the rope ladder. As he pulled himself up the side of the boat Archy could see him being yanked below the surface. The water bubbled as a crocodile twisted him savagely in circles. The crowd roared its delight as Maximus Crassus was dragged to the bottom.

  The Death Squad was distracted by Maximus Crassus’s sudden disappearance, and the remaining slaves pounced on them and threw them into the water.

  The slaves, realizing there was no more threat, leapt with joy. One of them picked up the gladius from the ship’s deck and hoisted it in salute in front of the emperor’s stall.

  With the Death Squad wiped out, the emperor had no choice but to celebrate with the masses and acknowledge this group, led by the boy. The captivated audience was now on its feet, eager to witness this rare event. The emperor rose from his seat and thrust out his thumb high to show his approval. The crowd erupted into a victorious chant.

  ***

  Back in the dank and dark storeroom Georgia breathed deeply and slowly to calm herself while the muffled howls of the crowd drifted up the tunnel. “What’s all that shouting about?” she called out to Vincent. “Archy said fifteen minutes—it’s been much longer. Where on earth is he?”

  There came a loud crack at the back of the room and the sound of bricks being moved. “What are you doing back there, Vincent.” Georgia called.

  Moments later, Vincent appeared by her side. “Not much. No one’s going to find them there. I’ll show you later!”

  ***

  The slaves hoisted Archy onto their shoulders, and they bounced around so wildly, they nearly fell overboard. He tried to get down but the men were delirious. They started to display him like a trophy to the crowd.

  Archy gave in and lifted his arms, and the feverish mob erupted once more. Finally he grabbed a dangling rope of the ship’s rigging and swung free.

  “I need your help. Can you get me over there?” Archy pointed to the ramp.

  When the rowboat hit the edge of the Coliseum it was deluged with flowers tossed by the rapturous crowd. The slaves saluted and Archy, with twelve minutes left, clambered hastily out onto the stone wall. With the sun’s rays illuminating the waving mass on all levels, he turned his back and slid down the ramp.

  Chapter 40

  The Egress

  Archy’s eyes adjusted to the dark tunnel as he charged back to the storeroom. “Vincent! Georgia! Where are you? The Restitution’s done. Let’s go!” he yelled.

  Georgia sprang up. “Archy! Did you do it? What about the verse? Where’s the exit?”

  “I remembered it!” He repeated the exit verse to Georgia and Vincent as clearly as if he were reading it from the paper.

  Georgia’s eyes darted in all directions, wracking her brain for its meaning. “An egress is—is an exit,” she said.

  Vincent didn’t have a clue what it meant but only added to the pressure by pulling Archy’s arm to look at his watch. “Nine minutes,” he said.

  “A bear placed locked…” Archy repeated the verse. “A bear, a bear. A bear’s place.”

  “A bear’s cage!” Georgia blurted. “It’s the bear’s cage!”

  They grabbed their gear, then rushed up the tunnel and found the three boys who had been handling the crocodile earlier.

  “Where’s the bear cage?” Archy asked them.

  All three boys pointed to a heavy wooden door nearby. One of the boys went over to it pulled a small hatch open at head height. Archy peered in to see two bears with iron collars around their necks pacing back and forth.

  The man with the turban came out of the haze of the tunnel as Archy fumbled with the lock.

  The man seized Archy by the neck. “What are you doing?”

  Archy wriggled free. “You! You have to open this door.”

  The man laughed and held his hands up in mock surrender. “A boy giving me orders?”

  Vincent pulled the sentry’s oversized key from his helmet, dangling it in front of the three boys. “This is the key to the tunnel exit. It’s your way out, but I want you to get that key from him.” Vincent didn’t need to explain further. Within seconds there was a sound like a splosh! and the man was flat on his back. One of the boys ripped the keys from the man’s belt and exchanged them with the one Vincent gave him, and then all three boys ran as fast as they could up the tunnel.

  “Georgia, Vincent, when I swing the door open, get behind it and stay there,” said Archy. He unlocked the door and two giant bears burst out. The man was trying to push himself up when the creatures knocked him down again.

  “Come on!” urged Archy, leading the way into the dank pen. “Six minutes!”

  Vincent plucked a flaming torch from the wall outside and held it high above his head. The torch cast a dull, yellow light over mounds of damp straw. The odor from the pen made them gag. They made their way to the back where the waste was piled against the wall, and helped Archy as he knelt in the filth rummaging for a clue.

  “This must be it!” he said, crouching near a small iron gate. Archy pushed the key into the lock, but it wouldn’t turn. He looked up in despair at Georgia and Vincent.

  “The other side, Archy,” they yelled in unison.

  He slid his arm through the bars and slipped the key into the lock. It turned effortlessly and he swung the little gate open. Georgia grabbed Archy’s shoulder.

  “We can’t go back in these clothes. You said so yourself.”

  Archy didn’t need convincing. “You’re going to have to both change, and quickly!”

  “Give me my clothes, Georgia,” said Vincent, handing Archy the torch.

  “I wrapped them tightly in plastic bags. They’re at the bottom of the backpack, bound in tape.” She looked up at him. “They smelled
awful,” she added.

  “They weren’t that bad, Georgia, why did you wrap them in…”

  “LOOK!” cried Archy. “Both of you, get out of that stuff, and put anything on, anything at all. It doesn’t matter, just MOVE!”

  Vincent and Archy turned their backs and Georgia changed in a matter of seconds. She flung something at Vincent. “That’s all I have,” she said.

  “I can’t wear these.”

  “PUT THEM ON, VINCENT!” Archy shouted.

  They heard Vincent cursing as he struggled to get ready.

  “Four minutes,” said Archy.

  “Bleedin’ nightmare!” said Vincent, throwing his dirty toga onto the floor. “All right, I’m ready. Let’s go!”

  Archy and Georgia turned around and looked at him. He had an extremely tight pink T-shirt on, revealing his belly button and a light-blue pleated skirt that came down to mid-thigh level. He stood in the middle of the pen looking desperately uncomfortable. If Georgia hadn’t been quite so scared she would have probably shrieked with laughter.

  “I’m serious, Georgia. Don’t say anything, not a word. Let’s get out of here! Archy, what are you waiting for?”

  Archy stuck the torch through the entrance and peered in.

  “It’s a drain for the arena,” he said, his voice echoing. He ducked back out. “This has got to be it. It’s the only way. We’ve got three minutes. Are you ready, Georgia?”

  “Yup! No, wait.” She pulled Tati’s little belt from around her neck and hung it over the door. “I can’t take this back.”

  Vincent held the torch while Archy checked the bag with the Shroud. He entered first, lowering himself until he was knee-deep in slurry. The light revealed small tunnels branching out in different directions. Archy extended his hand up to Georgia. “It’s all right. C’mon.”

  Vincent followed, then closed the small gateway. They stood together in the putrid water and waited. The sudden light from the torch startled hundreds of rats, which fled screeching along the ledge.

  They heard a boom behind them. Moments later they felt water surge around their waists, pushing them forward.

  “The torch! Vincent! Throw the torch!” Georgia cried out.“We can’t take it—throw it!”

  Vincent shoved the torch back through the bars and in seconds they were plunged into darkness.

  Archy held his backpack tightly with one hand and then reached for Georgia’s with the other. A strong gust of wind howled around them and all of a sudden the straw in the bear cage burst into flames.

  “Hold on—here it comes,” shouted Archy. The alarm on his watch started beeping.

  “This must be it,” cried Vincent. “I think I’m going to puke.”

  Georgia grasped Vincent’s arm and steadied herself. “Now!” she shouted, willing the gateway to open.

  They were all hurled forward down the drain. Archy felt the stone walls rushing past, heard Georgia’s screams, and then everything went black.

  ***

  Archy woke up like he had been deboned, slouched over the backpack, with his watch alarm still beeping. Somewhere behind him he could hear Vincent moan. “Hey! Vincent. You all right?” he called out.

  “Yeah, I think so, although I’m definitely going to heave now.”

  “Georgia?” Archy called out.

  Archy could hear squishing noises in the mud as she approached. “I’m here. I’m all right.”

  As their eyes adjusted they could make out an orange glow of sunlight. They groped their way toward it. Leaving the tunnel they entered a maze of walls—and then, to their joy, saw the crumbling interior of the Coliseum.

  “Look! We’re in the ruins. We’re back,” said Vincent.

  Archy slapped Vincent’s arm and turned to Georgia. “We did it! We got back!” he yelled.

  Georgia giggled wildly and then she began to cry. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she let out a high-pitched whimper. Archy had never seen anyone smile and cry at the same time. He went over to her and all three of them hugged.

  “You’re messing up my hockey shirt,” said Vincent with a sniff.

  They walked out into the arena, feeling the sun’s rays, and surveyed the huge blocks making up the ruins of the Coliseum. Above them a group of brightly clothed tourists were pointing cameras in their direction.

  Vincent pulled his skirt down so that it was straight, then clenched his fist and thrust his arms high into the air, delivering the same salute as Decimus. “We’re back!” he shouted at the tourists. Then they all gathered their things, never once noticing the man with the powerful binoculars watching them from the shadowed arches.

  ***

  “Come with me a sec,” Vincent said. “I’ve got to show you something.”

  Georgia and Archy protested but followed Vincent back through a familiar route to the old chariot room. Half of its ceiling had caved in but enough light was shining in for them to recognize it.

  “Remember this room, Georgia?” said Vincent.

  “I thought it was the last place I’d ever see,” she said softly. “It even feels the same. What are we doing back here, Vincent?”

  Vincent walked over to the back of the room and knelt on the ground as if he were going to pray. They watched him scratch at the dirt near the base of the wall.

  Georgia began chuckling at the sight. “I think this TimeQuest has affected him.”

  Vincent seemed oblivious to her comments. Archy and Georgia waited patiently until he stopped whatever it was he was doing.

  “Got it!” he said, pulling out a clump of dirt and slamming it down on the ground by their feet.

  “Are you all right?” said Archy.

  Vincent sifted through the pile, and then held up what seemed like dirt in front of Archy and Georgia’s faces. “Look, my coins are still here!”

  They couldn’t believe it. Vincent picked one out, spat on it and rubbed it against his skirt until it shone. Then he held it out, clenched between his grubby fingers and admired it.

  Georgia grabbed at him. “No, Vincent, what have you done? You weren’t allowed to bring anything back!”

  Vincent blew the loose soil off the coins heaped in his hands. “I didn’t bring anything back.” he said coolly. “I excavated them.”

  Chapter 41

  ELF Effect

  At the first sight of the coins Archy was happy for Vincent. But Georgia’s reaction got to him. She was right. Nothing should have been brought back.

  The consequences of Vincent digging up the coins gnawed at him but so did the damp Shroud. Getting everyone to a safe place became his priority. He hailed a taxi on the busy road outside and they left for a hostel near the famous Spanish Steps in the center of Rome. Once there they exchanged the pound notes, Archy got a room for them all and they began to get themselves organized for the return journey. Vincent went down to a nearby shop and bought himself decent clothes while Georgia prepared her things and had a tug of war with Archy over the hairdryer. He finally convinced her he needed it more, and got to work drying the rug.

  When Vincent returned he studied the gold coins on the bed.

  “This is a mistake, Vincent. They should have stayed there,” said Georgia.

  Vincent tried to convince them to see things his way, but gave up and went out to get food. Twenty minutes later they were eating pizza and drinking colas that even Georgia loved, but the more Archy thought about the coins the more he realized he had probably lost his chance.

  Early the next morning they were on their way, flying at full speed. Archy captained the rug with an impending sense of doom. All they had achieved hung in the balance. Vincent’s coins would be discovered and he felt as if the Keepership was slipping through his fingers. They flew in silence for most of the journey with Vincent shouting sporadic directions.

  Georgia said goodbye at St. Catherine’s herb garden and hugged them both. “I’m sure it’ll work out all right, Archy,” she said. But there was a tone in her voice that belied her words.

&nbs
p; “You worry too much, Archy. Everything will be perfect. I know about these things, you’ll see,” said Vincent.

  The boys arrived at Rushburys just in time for a dinner of cold spam, mashed potatoes, cabbage, and tapioca pudding. The TimeQuest and the weekend were officially over.

  After dinner Archy called Sentinel Remnant at SOTS. He waited as Sparrows went to get him. He heard muffled talking in the background before Sentinel Remnant got on the line.

  “Ahh, Archy! I applaud you—a brave effort…” Sentinel Remnant began.

  Archy was expecting a much more positive response. He wanted to hear words like “Wonderful, amazing, incredible. You have our complete support as Keeper,” but his worst fears were confirmed with the words, “…but there’s a problem, I’m afraid. Our Italian agent is now here in London. He observed your return. We would like you to come up tomorrow night for the debriefing. A fantastic effort, though.”

  “But Sentinel Remnant, Vincent didn’t mean to—”

  Sentinel Remnant cut him short. “So, come to my office, say six o’clock tomorrow, and make sure you bring the Shroud with you this time, please.”

  ***

  The next day, Archy headed to London. He tried to enjoy the flight, certain it was his last, but the depression he felt was overpowering and canceled out any joy. He finally entered the SOTS office with an air of total defeat.

  Sentinel Remnant sat behind his large, cluttered desk. A green banker’s lamp shone onto a pile of papers, and a pencil stuck out from the side of his mouth. A man stood to his left. He had a healthy tan and wore a crisp, dark-colored suit.

  “Ah! Archy there you are! Meet Agent Turano. As I mentioned, he witnessed your return transduction in Rome.”